A Different Ceiling
by DHF of Walden
Summary: Darry never even got a chance to keep Pony and Soda when their parents died, and they are sent to foster homes. They haven't forgotten each other and every night pray for a chance to see each other again. What happens when they meet up three years later?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: In this story, Darry never even got a chance to keep Pony and Soda, and they get sent off to foster homes. How do the three brothers and the rest of the gang cope? Who has it worse off? And what might happen if Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy meet up three years later? Hope you enjoy, please read and review!**

Ponyboy P.O.V.

It was official. By 11 o' clock tomorrow morning, I would be staring at a different ceiling.

I was being sent to a foster home. We were getting split up. Soda and I had to go live with different families, and Darry would be alone.

All because of a stupid, irresponsible drunk driver.

The three of us just couldn't seem to wrap our heads around it. Of course we had known we would eventually be split up; the social workers hadn't given Darry a chance. But we didn't know we were going to be so far away from each other. The closest foster family willing to take in a fourteen-year-old boy was about 346 miles away. Soda's new house was even further. It occurred to me that we might possibly not ever see each other again. We lived each moment like it was our last. And now, it really was.

_Next Day_

Last night had been a tearful goodbye. Soda and I had to leave at night because the families we were staying with were so far away. Soda bawled all night. I cried a lot myself; and even Steve broke down and surrendered to a batch of sobs. Johnny cried his fair bit too, but Dally seemed to have forgotten how and settled for looking devastated. Two-Bit didn't cry, but his grey eyes were dull and dark, and his breathing quick and shallow. Darry teared up but refused to let any drops slide down his face and his voice broke a lot. Finally he gave up on talking and just hugged the both of us for what seemed like forever. Forever hadn't lasted near long enough, though.

Now I was sitting on a bus, headed for only God knows what.

The social worker said that this family- The Braceons- had two small children, a boy and a girl. The girl was seven years old, the boy ten. Well, maybe that part wouldn't be so bad. I had never admitted it, but I had always wanted a kid brother. Someone to set an example for, someone perhaps to be looked up upon by.

As I watched the countryside fly by, my tired eyes begged to close. I didn't want to let them. However, one particularly heavy blink got the best of me and I drifted off.

"Wha-?!" I woke up, expecting to see Soda's peacefully asleep face beside me. Instead a cold blue seat stared back , and I sighed. I checked the watch Darry had strapped onto my arm last night. He had said that these new people might not be as lenient with breaking curfew. Two-Bit made what must have been a feeble attempt at a wisecrack, saying that I would probably forget to put the thing back on after my shower and still be as late as ever. But Darry needn't worry. I wasn't ever going to take it off to start with.

Ten Fifty-Two. Eight minutes till my stop. Man, was I lucky had woken up. Wait. Lucky? No. No, that wasn't the right word at all. If I was lucky, I would be at home with Soda and Darry and the rest of the gang right now. No, I wouldn't really call myself lucky right now.

I pondered what the gang might be thinking right now. Had they, like me, woken up and wondered where Ponyboy and Sodapop Curtis were? Had realisation crashed down on them like a sudden tidal wave? Had Soda, too, been startled when he woke up facing a bus seat back?

The bus screeched to a halt as we arrived at my stop, and I picked up my bag. Holding it carefully in front of me so as not to bash into any seats, I made my way to the front of the bus and down the stairs. The first thing I saw was a telephone pole. The second was a car with four people in it. A little boy opened the door and hopped out, soon followed by his parents and sister. The little guy was pretty enthusiastic, for he ran up and hugged me. I raised my eyebrows before hugging back. He pulled away after about five seconds and cried gleefully,

"I'm not the only boy anymore!"

His dad cleared his throat.

"Oh, come on, Dad, you don't count. But now I have a brother! I've always wanted a big brother!" He looked up at me. "What's your name? I'm Alec."

"I'm Ponyboy." I responded, wondering how he would react. I needn't worry, though, 'cause he just said, "cool!" and continued to bounce up and down on his heels. The little girl, though, said,

"I don't like that name. It's a long name. It's silly. I don't want to call him that."

Well, that was unexpected. What was I supposed to do about my own name, though? I was even more surprised when her mother said,

"Yes, that is a bit of a mouthful to say. Maybe we should give Ponyboy a new name, a nickname if you will. What would you like to call him, Lila?"

"Sam." Lila grinned in a way that seemed evil to me.  
Sam? Was she serious?

Her mother nodded in approval, and looked at her husband, who did the same. Alec opened his mouth, but Lila cut him off.

"Shut up, Alec!"

"Why don't you!"

"You shut up!"

"_You_ shuddup!"

"Ok guys, calm down. It's okay," I said, even though it so wasn't. If everything was _okay_, I wouldn't be here right now. I am so not okay right now not even Two-Bit could find something funny about it.

**A/N: So. There it is. I've been kinda busy writing this one and 'Numb' but I'll get the next chapter of DTHQL up soon! Please read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, an update! Sorry, my brain's been stuck, don't expect the next for a while. I wrote this one spontaneously at two in the morning. It's not really a whole chapter- more like a drabble-and-a-half of one, no action, just musing/reflecting on Darry's part.**

**I most probably will never own the Outsiders. I accept that now.**

I always thought I was strong. My football coach had told me so, my high school girlfriend had whispered it in my ear. My brothers and the rest of the gang had all mumble-admitted it at one time or another. Any stranger whom I'd beaten at arm-wrestling would afterwards glance at a buddy and mouth, _That guy's strong_.

I always believed it, came to treat the claim as fact. I had no doubt, I believed that Darry Curtis was a strong person.

But not anymore.

If I were strong, Ponyboy and Sodapop would be here right now. I would have protected them. I could have held them in an unbreakable grip, safe from the demons that wanted to take them away. Any strong person would have- but I could do nothing.

Superman, they called me. I'd always felt a tiny flicker of pride when one of the boys addressed me by that name. Now, I realized what my 'title' was: just a silly, childish nickname.

I'm no Superman.

Superman would have swooped in and saved the day. All I could was stand and stare silently as my two brothers were carried far away from me. I'm just a lonely Clark Kent who doesn't know what to do with himself.

Having muscles doesn't make you strong. It just tries to make up for the fact that you aren't.


End file.
